THE EXECUTION OF THE FENIANS AT MANCHESTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1308, 25 January 1868, Page 5

THE EXECUTION OF THE FENIANS AT MANCHESTER.

(From the 27mm, November 25) The Fenian convicts Allan, Larkin, and Gould were hanged for wilful murder on Saturday, at Manchester. In these few words is really told almost all that can be said about an event which, of its kind, has excited mor9 publi • interest than any execution within the memory of living man. The highest estimates only give the c.owd outside the barriers nt 12,000, but it is much to bo doubted whether there were ever mere than SOOO or 10,000 at the outride. The proclamation v of the Mayor had Bomethiu r to do with producing this effect, the fear of disturbance still more, and more than either the fact that the barriers behind which the crowd was kept wero at such a distance f-om tho gallows that very little could be seen, and wero so fixed in narrow thoroughfares as on y to give place for a small number of the general crowd. Of the SOOO or 10,000 present on Sat.rday, probably not more than 20«)0 actually saw tho execution, and the result of nil these arrangem-nts and preventives was that the List scene of nil passed over without an incident worth much mcution. The mob was quiet and orderly—far more so than such niobs generally aro. Therj was no manifestation of feeling eiiher for or against tho convicts when they came our. 'l'here was a decorous silence, which was not broken by any attempt at speech maung on the part of tile condemned, who, while praying, took their places quietly, and in a C:inute or two afterwards wero hanging stone dead. The circumstances connected with the murder for which these men died are widely known. .Briefly, then,-we may state the chief and most: fatal points in the evidence on which they were found guilty, and for which they most justly died on Saturday. On tho 11th of September, two men, named Kelly and Deasy, otherwise White and Williams, wore taken into custody on suspicion of being Fenian leaders who wore •' wanted" in Ireland on charges of treason-felony. Tho prisoners were remanded for further enquiry, and they were sent back to prison for a week. On tho 18th of September they wero brought up on remand; a policeman produced a warrant requiring the presence of the prisoners in Ireland; and the men wero sent back to gaol again. The prisoners were being removed along with others, about three o'clock in the afternoon, in the prison van to the city gaol, but when the van arrived at the railway arch in High Koad, it was attackod by a number of men waiting there, the spot being selected with military judgment und skill for the purpose of the attack. A considerable number of men, among whom certainly were the prisoners who have suffered, set upon the van. Somo of the men were armed with revolvers, and the first thing they did was to shoot the two horses attached to the van. Larkin and Gould were the men who wero sworn to as having shot the horses and at the same moment fired up at the officers on tho box. Immediately after a policeman named Bromley was wounded. Several shots were fired, and the police were driven from the spot, though they repeatedly made attempts, aided by other persons, to prevent the breaking open of the van. One of the policemen was slightly wounded [ by a Bhot, and then a pistol shot was fired" by a man, whom a very large number of witnesses declared to be Allen, which shot caused the death of Brett. As to the part the prisoners severally took in the fatal affray, Allen was sworn to as having demanded the keys from Brett; and it was ho who exclaimed —addressing one of the prisoners whom they had determined to release—" Arrah, Kelly, I'll "dio for you before 1 deliver you up." Allen was also stated to have followed the two released prisoners, and to have been captured while -watching their departure. Whatever difficulty there may have been in the tumult of identifying the prisoners, Allen, from the prominent part he took, was certainly tho most deeply implicated, and took the most determined part in the tffray. He, with a revolver, protected thoao who were breaking into the van and throwing stones at the police; it was he who fired the shot which wounded a man named Sprosson ; and it was ho who was seen on the step when the fatal shot wub fired, and who threatened to shoot those who attempted to follow the fugitives. As to Gould and Larkin, they were also caught red-handed in tho affray. It was they who shot the horses, who threw the atones at; the police, who sought to break into the vaj, and followed Allen in his determined rescue and defence of the released prisoners. He was caught with a revolver which had been used. Two of the barrels had misßed fire, and two of the chambers still loaded, though without cups. An attempt at an alibi was made in the case of Gould, but it signally frilled, and the prisoner with the rest was included in the list of the guilty. Gould, whose real name is O'Brien, mado no dofence at all, but contented himself with a fierce invective against England and Englishmen in general. He was the mo3t active and intelligent man engaged in the outrage. He was fairly educated, and by birtti and sympathy an Irish American. It is believed that he had no relatives in tir.fl country, and few friends. He had some military experience as a sergeant in the name regiment as Colonel Kelly in tho United States army, and he waa best known among tho Fenians as Captain O'Brien. He is known to have been last autumn in Dublin and Liverpool, where he associated with Fenians ; and at tho last winter assizes in Liverpool ho waa tried, with two or three others, on a charge of having in his possession a number of rifles belonging to the government. Gould and his companions were on that occasion acquitted. Since that time ho haß frequently travelled between England and Ireland on Fenian business, and froiji the information that could be gathered of him ho ia supposed to have been a very active orcaniserof Fenian circles. As to Larkin, there can be little doubt tha'j he was the victim of such men as O'Brien. Of tho five who were convicted he was the only married man, and till within the last year or two he behaved like a respectable workman. He had a wife and four children, and for three or four years he lived in Manchester, carrying on tho business of an operative tailor. Kecently he became an active Fenian, and in one of the Manchester circles acted as a collector of subscriptions. He had not done much work for several months, and a few weeks ago, just before his apprehension, he was on the out-door relief list of the Charlton Guardians. The man London, alias Shore, who was reprieved, excelled all tho other convicts in hi? zeal for the Fenian cause, and it was only the circumst nee that he had not been proved to have ha^

a revolver in his hands which led tho Government to listen tj the intercessions in his behalf. Lilte O'Brien, ho was an Irish American, and had no friends in this country. Like O'Brien, too, he sorrod in the United States' army daring tlio recent war, when he held a commission as a captain. None were allowed to see the prisoners. Almost to the very last they wero buoyed up with the hopo of a reprieve, and, strange to say, the news that Shore was respited confirmed their delusion for a timo. It was not till nearly ten o'clock on Friday night that a final telegram was received from their friends in London which set their hopes and fears at rest. It simply told what had beon often told to them before, that no clemency could be Bliown in their case, and that for their murder thoy must die. How tho convicts passed the night in their celts is, of course, not known. After prayers they retired early, cach in his own cell, and were woko at their own request at half-past five on Saturday morning. Tho Roman Catholic prienta who attended thtm, the Rev. Canon Cantwell, the Rev. Mr. Gadd, and tho Rev. Mr. Koating, saw tlu-m soon after they rose, and after Mass tlio prisoners nil psrtoolt of the Holy Communion. Ab far as could be ascertained, nono loft any eoufession beyond that which, in accordance with the rites of their religion, they offered to their spiritual advisors. Of course, not even tho tenour of this is known, nor is, indoed, anything boyond what the warders always knew, v.'z.j that each solemnly denied having shot Brett, and in reply to any questions as to planning the attack on the van, simply statod that they would dio martyrs for their country. They were all, it was said, anxious to mako somo stuteniont from the scaffold, hut, guided by the wise and earnest admonitions of thoir clergy, they wero induced to forej'O this idea. In all other respects thoy wero all quite resigned to their fato, which they mot at last, if not without fear, at least with deconcy and forvent prayer. At nbout n quaiter to S o'clock tho hangman ptißsed into tho centro of tho building of tho_ gaol to pinion them. Each, it was stated, was pinioned in his own cell. Tho operation of pinioning tho prisoners is oue far moro rapid and loss distressing to thom than ;lie general public suppose. f llio bands with which tho men aro bound aro simply strong loather straps passing round tho waist, with fmallcr thongs bidding the elbows to tho back, aud others fastening down the wrists in front of the stomach. 'J'liud bound tho convict is powerless for motion, except with his feot, and when ho moves out upon tho scaffold theeo aro Becured too. Tho operation wsb borne quietly by all. Not a word, it was said, was uttered by them, their clergy exhorting them to firmness and submission in what they had to faco bofore passing into etornity.

While this waß going on inside tho prison the tramp of soldiers was heard through the fog in the gaol yard, and a company of the 72nd Highlanders drew tip with fixed bayonets beneath the scaffold on eitlior sido, but fur inside the walls. At tho samo iirao two smaller detachments of eighteon or twenty men were ordered to ascend tho platform which was built on a -level with tho gallows, but within the brickwork. These, as they liurridly swarmed up tho narrow ladders, stood upright, clear and distinct above tho coping, but were instantly ordered bv their officers to keep out of sight. Tho men at once knelt, and almost before these direction? wero giv n a low monotonous chant come through tho fog, the word* of which—tho Litany for tho dying in tho Catholic Church—and tho solemn chant " Lord have mercy upon us," " Christ have upon us," were audiblo before thoso who uttered it came dimly into view. Allen came lirst with tho Rev. Canon Cantwell by his sido. None would havo known in him the thirk-ncrked, stout, bullet-headed youns man who stood before the judges on his triaj. .His face was not to say pale, but had a ghnsily clav-eoloured look that vas inexpressibly painful, especially as those who saw it could also soo that he tried to conceal all outward manifestations of weakness by an almost desperate eftort. Ho seemed engaged in prayer, and his lips moved to all tho responses of tho Litany, but no ejtmd was emitted, and, though he looked quickly from right to left around him, he seemed to see nothing, and never raised his eyes to tho spot on which ho wa3 to die After him came Gonld. lie was a stouter and more powerful man than any. He, too, seemed perfectly resigned, and looked anxiously and fervently on the littio crucifix which was clasped between his hands, but it was only now and then ho joined in tho responses to the Litany for tho dying, though when ho did bo, his accents were clear and firm and ferveDt as he said " Christ h-vir us ; Christ, graciously hear us." Larkin, a thin, email, and undersizod man, came last of all. Tho fervency with which he prayed renderod him audible throughout the whole gaol yard. Yet his physical strength had evidently iven away, for though the tones of his utterance wero loud and clear, and ho never for an instant missed a word of the prayers, he was still so nervous and physically prostrated as to make it necessary for two warders to partially support him on each Bide. All in the gaol remained bareheaded as thoy pawed. Allen went up tho flight of woodon steps laboriously and slowlj-, but still with the samo unflinching expression of determination written in every line of his ashy face. Tho eame may bo said of Gould, except that of the two he appeared less concerned by the awful situatijri in which he stood. Larkin trod up painfully with shifting un 1 uncertain step 3 tho laHt of all, but still always repeating tho responses to the Litany, " Lord havo mercy on us ; Christ have mercy on us." For a second there was a pause behind the little black door which led out to the sciffold till all three convicts were together, and after that one brief interval, scarcely a minuto passed till all was over- Allen went out liftit, and at his appearance all noiso in tha crowd below was hushed. Kvery head was uncovered, and some few hands, it was said, were clapped, but whether as rejoicing in his execution or sympathising with the murder ho had d .ne, it was impossible to say. Tho rope was put round his neck, his feet were fastened, and the white cap drawn over him amid solemn silence. Gould came next, now loudly praying, aa all tho clergy were—earnestly and fervently. When Gould came out upon tho drop, he shuffled near to Allen, and, nB well as his bonds allowed, shook bands with him and kissed him through his white cap. It may have been that Larkin saw something of this Cnal loave-taking between men passing into, eternity; or it may havo been that seeing' his companions thus capped and bound for death unnerved him ; at all events, his courage aeemc;! to sink at the last moment, and he barely could tatter on to the drop. Ho mustered strength enough for that, however, and, praying, like the rest, moat earnestly, he took his placo. Hardly hud he done so and the white c»p being drawn over him when he fainted, and full heavily against Gould. In an instani the undorhangrnan and a warder seized him and hold him upright; while the exhortations to bear this last ordeal with firmness as un atonement for thoir great BinH wero pressed upon them in loud prayers, and tho men turned their faces towards where the sounds came from, an i gave from beneath their white caps muflled sounds of earnest responses. In apito, however, of his evidont efforts, Larkin seemed to grow more faint. His knees sank two or three times, and tho hangman, hurriedly warning those near at hand from tho vicinity of tho drop, stepped back, and casting one professional glance of eager interost to see that all was right, drew a little bolt, and amid a loud boom the men dropped, and as they did so the long suppressed noises of the crowd broke out in a subdurd muflled hum of terror and surprise, above which ilio solemn words of prayer for those that are dying arose distinctly. Almost as the drop foil a loud explosion was heard on the left of the gallows, lollowed quickly by another. Every one was startled by it, and tho riflemen got ready to use their arms instantly. Tt that they were only fog signals placed on the railway wo have mentioned as passing almost over tho gaol. Still their effect Was terribly startling, and none who saw through the tog the great mass of whito upturned faces below, ' l, .°J^' era handling their weapons round tho sciiilolcl, the priests praying loudly that God would ta*o the great sufferings of the convicts then as some atonement for their Bins in this world, will forget a scene Which is difficult to describe, and almost impossible to efface from the memory of thone who saw it. On this, however, we need not dwell. Allen died almost instantly. So also did Gould. The sufferings of Larkin, however, Beemed very great and it was nearly two minutes boforo he ceased beating the air in ineffectual struggles, which made tho halter by which he hung quiver and ierk as if everv moment it would be biroken. It is said, though we know not with what truth, that the hangman had so clumsi y adjusted the rope round this culprit's neck that ho suflored more than he would havo d.->ne had f imed' 115 ° f th ° scaffold haen more carefully pertho whole timo that the criminals rem .ined hanging the clergymen continued their prayerß aud.bly. Before the bodie» had hung for about

half-an-hour tho crowd, with the exception of the tpecial constables, had almost entirely dispersed. When, at 9, tho bodies were cub down, hardly any but those on duty round tho spot were present.